


Fifteen Years Later

by debjunk



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/M, Time Travel, Time Turner (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26169313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/debjunk/pseuds/debjunk
Summary: Using a Time-Turner, Hermione Granger brings the man she loves back to life and to her present. Can Severus Snape return her feelings, or will he move on with his life, leaving her alone after pining for him for fifteen years?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 78
Kudos: 170





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story is complete in seven chapters and shall be updated weekly.

They were hiding in the Forest of Dean. Hermione awoke when Harry rose and left the side of the tent. She’d keyed their protection wards to her so she would know immediately if something had penetrated them. Feeling the tingle of them being disturbed, she sat up and quickly got out of bed.

Peeking out of the tent, she saw a doe Patronus leading Harry off. She left the tent to see what was going on. Instead of following Harry, she snuck along the edge of the wards, hoping to find the person who had cast the Patronus. It wasn’t very hard. He was hiding in the bushes along the outside edge of the wards she’d laid for their campground. Severus Snape crouched low, watching the doe and her friend.

She stealthily crept up behind him while within the wards so he wouldn’t hear or see her approach. The way the wards were set up to conceal any sounds, she was able to get right beside him. In a flash, she had broken through the wards and tackled Snape to the ground. She threw her body over his and held his hands down. She knew she couldn’t hold him long.

“Professor,” she said softly.

He glowered at her.

“Don’t move,” she demanded.

Her mind raced. She felt that there had to be more to his murdering of Dumbledore, but she didn’t know what. She had to know.

“Why are you leading Harry away from the camp, and why did you kill Dumbledore?”

He scoffed at her. “I believe it’s obvious why I killed Dumbledore, Granger. I was hoping the Dark Lord would reward me highly.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you will,” he snarled. “It matters not to me, foolish girl.”

“You’re covering up something. I know you are. There’s no way you would murder Professor Dumbledore without a good reason.”

He made his move then, throwing his weight against her and turning them both over so he was now the one on top of her—his wand digging into her neck.

“I could finish you right now, you know.”

“You wouldn’t do that.”

He hesitated for a moment, uncertainty in his eyes.

“You’re not the man you want everyone to think you are. Call me stupid all you want, but I trust you.”

“Those who trust me die!” he snarled.

“Then kill me,” she said tersely. “Go ahead. Strike me down, that’s what you do, isn’t it?”

He dug his wand into her cheek now. “Don’t tempt me, girl.”

“You want me to be afraid, but I’m not. I’ve spent a lot of time going over everything. Something isn’t right. Tell me what really happened and why?”

“There is nothing more to tell,” he replied in a clipped tone.

“I asked to see Harry’s memories of what you did. When you went to strike Dumbledore down, you looked like you didn’t want to do it. It almost seemed as if you hated yourself as you cast the spell.”

He quickly rose and got off her, all the while never moving his wand from pointing at her neck.

“Enough!” he demanded.

She ignored his wand point and scurried up. She stood now, pointing at him. “Tell me why you did it!” she demanded.

“Silence, Granger. Whatever you thought you saw is immaterial. Any hatred you read from me was towards Dumbledore.”

“No! Professor Snape, you’re lying. That’s not the way you looked. It was almost as if it was some kind of self-loathing. I don’t think you wanted to kill him at all.”

“Oh, yes, and my Death Eater colleagues just let that slide by, right?”

Hermione looked to the ground. “I don’t know why they didn’t notice, but that doesn’t make it any less so.” She looked back up at Severus. “Why did you kill him, sir? I know it wasn’t for You-Know-Who. Your reactions were carefully hidden but nonetheless clear that killing Dumbledore was the last thing you wanted to do. Why, Professor? Why did you kill your friend and mentor?”

Hatred filled Severus’ face. “Because he told me to!” he cried tersely.

Her mouth dropped open. She tensed as she felt her heart start to beat wildly. The magnitude of what he said hit her full force. She stared at him incredulously until the question she couldn’t hold back tumbled from her lips. “Why on earth would he ask you to do such a thing?”

“Because he was dying!” He grimaced before continuing. “So that he could cement my place with the Dark Lord, to save Draco Malfoy’s life; all of those things, and a myriad of others! He ordered me to kill him to complete his convoluted plan.”

She gasped and felt her knees lose their strength. Her legs wobbled as she fought to stay upright. Taking a step back, she finally righted herself as she gave him an astounded look. It took her a bit to digest all that he’d said. Her eyes never left his as she processed everything.

Finally, she asked, “How do you do it, Professor? How do you carry on with everyone thinking the worst possible thoughts about you?”

He looked at her grudgingly. “Because that is what a spy does.”

She swallowed hard. “Tell me. At least you can get it off your chest. I will keep your secrets.”

“I have said too much already.” He raised his wand again.

“Do _NOT_ Obliviate me,” she warned. “Just talk to me.”

“Why do you care?” he asked blandly.

“Professor, I’ve always trusted you… admired you, even, although you were never very nice to me.”

He lowered his wand but regarded her warily. “I’m sure you realize much of that was an act,” he admitted finally.

She nodded. “I suspected so.”

His eyes wandered in Harry’s direction. “I’m leading Potter to the sword of Gryffindor. He evidently needs it.”

She told him of their hunt then. He stared at her incredulously. “Why didn’t Dumbledore tell me about this?”

Hermione shrugged. “He seemed to play both ends.” She looked to the ground. “Can I help you in some way, sir?”

She could tell his mind was working quickly. “Can you get messages to the Order?”

“Probably, we haven’t really tried, but I’m sure I can figure out some way to get messages out.”

“I will contact you through Black’s portrait when I need you to pass things along.”

Hermione looked at him in shock as she wondered how he knew she had a copy of Black’s portrait. Of course, if she thought about it, it made perfect sense for him to know.

“You know I have the portrait?” she asked.

He gave her a stark glare as if to say she was a dullard. “How else would I have been able to find you?”

She nodded. “Of course…” she said as her cheeks went pink with embarrassment.

He looked at her with uncertainty.

Gleaning what his look meant, she quickly said, “I won’t breathe a word to anyone.”

“I don’t even know why I told all of that to you.”

“Because you needed to,” she replied with understanding.

He gave her a quick nod. “I will be in contact,” he said before turning and Disapparating on the spot.

__________________

She didn’t hear from him for a week, but one day while poking around in her bag, Phineas Black’s portrait cleared his throat and asked if she could talk. She snapped her bag shut, made an excuse of having to use the loo, and walked outside of the tent and away from her friends’ prying ears.

“I can talk now,” she said after pulling the portrait out of her bag.

“The Headmaster wants to meet with you. Where are you?”

“By the southern tip of Lake Windermere… near the dock,” she responded.

“He’ll meet you at midnight at the dock. Don’t be late, he cannot linger long.”

She nodded and placed the portrait back into her bag.

That night she didn’t know it, but Snape was Disillusioned at the head of the dock. She sneakily moved to the dock, and once her foot hit the wooden planks, she felt a hand clamp over her mouth.

“It’s me,” he hissed into her ear, and she relaxed automatically. Letting her go, he appeared behind her, and she turned to look at him. He looked haggard and had a desperate gleam in his eyes.

“The Dark Lord is planning a raid on Muggle London near London Bridge on Lower Thames Street tomorrow night. Alert the Order.”

She nodded. “Are you all right?”

He gave her a quizzical look.

“I just…” She shook her head. “I’m just worried about you.”

He scoffed at her, but his eyes did not hold derision in them. “I am surviving.”

She nodded. “Good.” She didn’t know what else to say. She knew he wouldn’t tell her details of anything anyway. She reached out and grabbed his arm. “Be careful,” she said.

“I would give you the same warning,” he replied.

She smiled then. “I’ll pass on your message without saying it’s from you. Hopefully, the Order will be able to save everyone.”

He nodded curtly. “I will be in touch.”

“Headmaster?” Hermione said before he could turn to Apparate away.

Severus’ brow raised at her. “What is it?” he asked softly.

“How do you do it, sir?”

He sighed. “Do what, Miss Granger?”

She took a step towards him. “How do you play both sides and not go insane? How do you go day by day with everyone glaring at you… hating you?”

“I already told you, Miss Granger, that is what a spy does.”

“Professor, most spies don’t need to dwell with those who think they’ve turned to the enemy. And even if they do, most hadn’t been friends with those people for years.”

He regarded her solemnly. “You are wiser than your years belie. Your understanding of my situation is insightful. How do I do it, Miss Granger? I do it because I must. If I didn’t do it, I would be killed, or the school would suffer. And, my friends that you mentioned… their lives would be forfeit.”

“It’s not fair that you have to go through so much, Headmaster.”

“As you know, Miss Granger, life isn’t fair,” he snarled. “My ‘friends’ do not know, nor could they understand what I am doing. All they see is a murderer, and that’s all they must see. For them to know anything else could jeopardize their lives. I will never do that to them. As it is, I have put you in grave danger, and I’m still contemplating Obliviating you.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he lifted his finger to silence her.

“However, having you as a go-between for me with the Order is valuable. I apologize for putting you in this circumstance.”

“Headmaster…”

“There’s no need to call me that, Miss Granger. You are not a student.”

She gave him a steely look. “Headmaster,” she continued out of respect. “I want you to know I’ve been working on Occlumency with Harry. I’m not perfect, obviously, but I have learned to protect my thoughts, certainly better than Harry can. I will not let your secrets be known if I am captured by the enemy.”

He looked at her in amazement. She could tell he was touched by her words and surprised that she’d been able to learn Occlumency even when her practice partner was pretty awful at it.

“May I test you, Miss Granger?”

“I would appreciate it if you did, Headmaster.”

He pointed his wand at her. “Legilimens.”

She felt him enter her mind and emptied it of anything that she wanted to hide. She brought up memories of her searching for food earlier that day. She felt him picking through her mind, looking for weaknesses. She let him see nothing.

He retreated, and his eyebrow arched at her again. “Nicely done, Miss Granger. Realize, that if you are ever faced by the Dark Lord, his entry will be much more violent, and he will stay in your mind quite a bit longer trying to find anything important. You may not be able to mask your thoughts from him for an extended amount of time.”

She nodded at him.

“I shall take my leave of you now,” he said as he turned and Apparated away.

Her call goodbye fell on an empty dock.

___________________________

And so it went. They met often, passing on secrets and trading information. On the night of their first visit, before she had returned to camp, she’d developed a spell to create a memo that would reach the Order. She thought that Arthur Weasley was the best recipient for her messages.

“It has a Portkey which will appear wherever Mr. Weasley is,” she explained to Severus. “I’ve charmed it to appear in his inner pocket so it’s hidden from prying eyes. It’s got a locator spell to be able to find him no matter where he may be, whether at home or at work.”

Severus arched his brow at her. “Very clever, Miss Granger. I believe that will work.”

____________________________

As Severus was privy to everything the Dark Lord was planning, their meetings came often. He told her that there were many raids he could do nothing about, and too many tips would cause the Dark Lord to become too suspicious. Still, he passed on as much as he could without raising suspicion.

As time went on, they had become less formal and referred to one another by their given names.... 

“Let them know he’s going after the Broadbent family. He wants a well-known target to instill fear in the masses,” Severus explained.

“I’ll tell them,” Hermione responded. “You look worn out, Severus. When was the last time you slept?”

Severus chuckled mirthlessly. “Sleep is something that eludes me on most nights. Thankfully, I do not have to travel on many raids, as I am occupied at Hogwarts. I’m sure I’d never get a wink of shuteye from the nightmares those raids would bring if I had to participate on a regular basis.”

“What can I do?” Hermione asked.

“There is nothing anyone can do. I work to keep your friends safe, but they seem to always want to make trouble. I can only hold back the Carrows so long or they will suspect me of being up to something.”

“My friends may not know what you’re doing for them, but I am very grateful that you’re there for them. I marvel at how you can fool everyone and do so much good all at once.”

He harrumphed. “It’s nothing, Hermione.”

She closed in on him. “It’s everything, Severus. You are a bright spot in the sea of darkness that the school has become.”

He looked into her eyes and held her gaze for a long time before turning away from her. “I must be off. Thank you for passing on that information.”

“Be careful, Severus.”

He looked back to her and nodded slowly. “I always am. You be careful, too, Hermione.” He then disappeared into the night with a pop….

__________________________

They learned quite a bit about each other in their encounters. She worried about him constantly and told him so….

Hermione reached out to him. “Are you staying safe?”

He flinched from her.

“Are you hurt?” she asked as she got closer to his arm again. “Tell me.”

“It is not your concern.”

“Severus, I want to help. Please, tell me what happened.”

Severus sighed and looked to the ground. “The Dark Lord cast Cruciatus upon me. Through the force of the spell, I crashed into a table and broke my arm.” He raised his finger to silence her, as she was about to gasp something. ”It’s been mended, but it’s still somewhat tender.”

Hermione was indignant. She looked as if she was about to hex something. “How could he do this to you? You’re his follower.”

Severus shrugged. “He likes to remind us who is in control. This is an easy way for him to do so.”

She took her wand and touched his arm saying, “ _Relevabor._ ” She lowered her wand.

“What did you do? It feels better.” Severus flexed his arm and rubbed where the break had been.

“It’s a spell I created when Ron was Splinched. It’s a pain reliever. You can cast it on yourself again when it wears off.”

Severus’ gaze seemed as if he was incredulous. Hermione mused that it was as if he didn’t believe anyone would give a whit about him, and was surprised that she would help him in such a way. She felt her heart constrict within her at that look but knew he wouldn’t accept any sympathy from her. Instead, she showed him how to cast the spell for himself.

“Be careful, Severus,” she advised him once the spell had been learned. “I worry about you all the time. If there’s anything I can do when you’re hurt, please…”

He raised his hand to silence her again. “It’s better that you weren’t involved,” he said quietly.

He seemed a bit out of sorts. His eyes looked away from her, and he held a puzzled look on his face. Finally, he continued. “I appreciate your concern, though. I’ll be in touch when I have other information.”

She nodded before he left her alone in the woods. She stayed there a few minutes longer, thinking about Severus and all he did. Her heart truly ached for him. She understood how lonely he must be. Having learned much about him, she understood how private he was; yet he sometimes let her see more of him than she thought he really wanted her to know.

What she saw set a flame within her that kept her sane until she saw him again. His image emblazoned itself in her mind and in her dreams. He had stopped being ugly a long time ago. In fact, the more she got to know him, the more handsome he seemed.

Her feelings for him had grown with each encounter, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do about that. In her heart, she knew he didn’t return her feelings, but that didn’t stop her from yearning for him.

“Nothing will ever come of it,” she mused to herself.

She knew she wanted to be there to support him, but if she showed her true feelings, she could see him turning from her so as not to lead her on. She knew he’d feel terrible about himself if he thought he was encouraging her in something he could never feel. She sighed. She was here for him. She wouldn’t let him know she felt more than friendship. Pushing her feelings deep, she returned to the camp and to her other two friends….

__________________________

“Where are you?” Phineas demanded. 

“In a secret kept place.”

“He says he needs to see you.”

“I’ll go somewhere we can meet and let you know.”

Hermione stuffed the portrait into her bag. She went to the bedroom door and peeked out of it. It was fairly late, and the house was quiet. It seemed that she would be able to sneak away without being caught. Carefully she tiptoed out of her room and silently crept down the stairs. Reaching the door, she turned the knob slowly and was able to open it without a sound. Leaving it slightly ajar behind her to ease her stealthy return, she walked a distance away from Shell Cottage and Disapparated. Appearing in the Forest of Dean again, she reached into her bag and pulled out the picture.

“I’m in the Forest of Dean,” she explained to Black.

“He has been waiting. He’ll be right there.”

No sooner had she returned the portrait to her bag than she heard a pop, and Severus appeared in front of her. He took a step toward her and reached out, but then let his hands fall to his sides.

“Are you all right?” His tone was full of apprehension.

She bit her lower lip and nodded.

“How did you escape?”

“Dobby,” Hermione replied softly.

“The House-elf?”

She nodded again. “Harry was able to call him to us, and he Apparated us out.” Her eyes filled with tears. “He didn’t survive.”

Severus moved towards her, but then hesitated. He looked into her eyes.

“What else happened?”

Her tears streamed down her face as she lifted up her sleeve to show the ugly carving in her skin.

Severus snarled at it. “Bellatrix?” he asked.

Her eyes closed, and she nodded. He pulled her within his arms and embraced her. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I can heal it for you.”

She shook her head but kept it buried in his cloak. She pulled back a little so she could look at his face. “They’ll ask how it healed. I won’t give up your secrets, Severus.”

He held her for a bit more, his eyes meeting hers and holding them in his gaze. Hermione caught her breath at the intensity of his look. Finally, his eyes became shuttered as he released her and took two steps back.

“Hermione, I can’t begin to think of the horror of that ordeal, but thankfully you are safe… and so are your friends. I’m sorry about the House-elf. He seemed to have an affinity for Potter.”

She nodded and wiped the tears from her face. She glanced up at him again, wanting to run back into his arms, but she held herself back. She understood it had been just a friendly hug to comfort her.

“You should go before someone realizes you have disappeared,” she advised.

He nodded curtly. “Hermione…”

She looked up at him.

“Please,” he said.

She smiled thinly at him. “I know… be careful. You, too. If you got yourself killed I’d have to hunt you down in the afterlife.”

He chuckled and nodded. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”

He gazed into her eyes again, and Hermione’s breath halted in her lungs.

“Stay safe,” he admonished before turning and disappearing into the night.

She sighed as she looked to where he had stood. She wrapped her arms around herself like Severus had. She’d never felt as safe as when she was in his embrace. This little incident just solidified her affection for him. She knew deep down she loved him, but she wouldn’t even think those words. She understood the possibility of that working out. Being in love with Severus Snape would never end well, so she would keep her feelings to herself. She just hoped beyond hope that he would survive the war.

But he didn’t.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione goes back in time to save Severus Snape.

**Fifteen Years Later**

Hermione placed one more pearl into the Time-Turner she was fashioning. It was the last addition before she spelled it to be able to take her back in time—to take her back to when Severus Snape had died. The Time-Turner looked much like the one she had used in her third year. A round, golden circle with a tiny hourglass and several pearls embedded in it. This one had the two circlets surrounding it also, but there were two more knobs than the original had. The other difference was that the sand in the hourglass was pink.

Her mind traveled back to the time right after the war, and how she came to the decision to make a Time-Turner….

_“Hermione, it’s okay. We’ll all be okay.”_

_Harry rubbed her back as he sat next to her at the table in Grimmauld Place. She shook her head at him. Tears were falling down her cheeks._

_“It’s so much… so many dead,” Harry continued, trying to comfort her._

_She nodded and tried to smile at him, but it only looked pitiful._

_“I’m going to go upstairs to my room,” she told him as she got up and rushed out of the kitchen._

_Bounding into the room she was using, she threw herself onto the bed and buried her head in her pillow._

_Harry didn’t understand. Nobody did. She was crushed, and no one had any idea why. They just thought it was because of everything that had happened, but she was inconsolable because Severus Snape was dead. Her friends had known she’d passed secrets for Snape during the war, but they were clueless to her feelings for him. Her grief was so personal, and Harry, Ron, and the others would never understand the level of friendship she had with Severus, so she never spoke of it. She was alone in her grief._

_“I should have told him…” she whispered to herself. “Now I’ll never get to!”_

_Her eyes filled with tears again as she sobbed into her pillow._

____________________

_Hermione startled awake. It was pitch black, so she knew without looking at the clock that it was still very early in the morning. Another nightmare. Sometimes, she’d dream of Severus dying in front of her. Other times, she’d dream of them spending time together… making love in the moonlight. She dreamed about him all the time._

_She sighed in the dark. She couldn’t let him go. There had to be something she could do to bring back Severus Snape._

____________________

She had traveled the world, trying to find ways to possibly bring him back.

_She rifled through her copious notes, each section cataloging a book she’d researched and the pages where the various information was found._

_“Too Dark,” she said as she flipped through her notebook._

_“Too Dark.” Flip. “Too Dark.” Flip. “So Dark it’s bone-chilling.”_

_She sighed as she viewed all her research. Everything she’d found was steeped in Dark Magic. Some of the books had given her nightmares just reading what they entailed._

_“This isn’t the way,” she mused. “Severus has been surrounded by Dark Magic all his life. He can’t have it as the thing that brings him back.”_

_She huffed as she vanished all her research._

_“I’ll need to do it myself,” she said with determination._

___________________

She had found the foremost Potioneer in the world and had become his Apprentice. Four years later, she was almost as formidable as her Master was. The potion to heal Severus had only taken a year or so to create and perfect after that. It had been the Time-Turner that had taken so long to develop.

She’d searched for years, looking for existing Time-Turners before realizing she’d need to craft her own. An intolerable amount of time was spent seeking the specific metal and other necessities to craft the bloody thing. Then there was so much trial and error before she had been able to create the spell to make it go back years instead of hours and so it would return her back to her present once her task was done.

“Merlin, it seems like it has taken a lifetime to get this ready.”

She waved her wand over the Time-Turner chanting the spells she needed quietly. When she was done, the Time-Turner glowed brightly for a minute before it returned to its normal golden color. She picked it up and let her fingers glide over it.

Tonight would be the night she saved Severus Snape’s life.

She gathered everything she needed. Potions, bandages, water—everything she might possibly need was placed into her old beaded bag. She put the long necklace of the Turner around her neck and fidgeted with the timepiece. Excitement filled her as she realized she would see Severus Snape once again after so very long.

Apparating to the Shrieking Shack, she made her way into the room where Severus had died. His faded blood still stained the floor, but a thick layer of dust covered everything. No one ventured here, ever.

She stooped down, her hand caressing the floor where his blood had stained it. The years had faded the dark crimson, but there were still dark places in the weathered wooden planks where the stains had thickly pooled. Her fingers cleaned a trail in the dust as she ran them over the stained floor.

Hermione’s eyes stung with unshed tears. She quickly blinked them away and stood up to get everything prepared. She waved her wand over the floor, cleaning it. She then pulled a small cloth out of her pocket and waved her wand over it, bringing it to it’s original size. It was a stretcher which she let hover about three inches off the floor and double-checked that she had everything in her bag. She took a look around and huffed. She was ready. Severus Snape would be alive and back here soon.

Taking the Time-Turner in her hand, she spun it the appropriate number of turns, winking out of the present and back into the past. She spied Severus immediately.

“So much blood,” she muttered as she moved quickly to his side.

She felt for a pulse. There was a faint one. Opening his mouth, she forced the bezoar she was holding into it and helped him to swallow it. She fished into her bag and found the bottle of clear liquid she was searching for. She opened the vial of Phoenix tears and poured some into his gaping wound. She was surprised at the sizzling sound they made but was satisfied with the tears’ efficacy as the wound started to heal itself. She dipped into her bag again, this time pulling out a vial of her own creation. Tilting Severus’ head back, Hermione poured the entire vial into his mouth.

This potion would not only replenish his blood but internally begin to mend his injuries and work with the Phoenix tears to seal his wounds permanently. As Nagini’s bites were notorious for not healing, she’d taken a good deal of time to ensure that her potion would overcome the venom’s properties and completely heal him from the inside out.

She laid his head back down and examined the wound that the tears were working on. She decided that a couple more drops wouldn’t be remiss.

As she poured some into the wound, she heard Severus groan. His eyes fluttered open, and he slowly turned so he could see her. His eyes focused on her, and he reached out with his bloodied hand to her hair.

“My guardian angel,” he whispered as the hand entwined in her hair pulled her closer to him. In his delirium, he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Hermione’s heart leapt within her. She returned his kiss gently, trying not to hurt him. She’d wanted this for oh, so long, yet she couldn’t believe it was really happening. Her insides were going insane as his lips caressed hers. The kiss went on until, in his weakened state, his lips grew slow, and he began to lose consciousness again.

“I love you,” Hermione said quietly as she saw him fade back to unconsciousness. Tears fell down her cheeks as she became lost in the feeling of his kiss. It took her a little while to pull herself back together so she could focus on healing him. She finally turned back to the wound in his neck and examined it. It seemed to be mending itself well. Thinking back to the wonderful kiss he had placed on her lips, she mulled it over as her fingers traced the outline of her lips. Who had he thought she was? Probably Lily. Who else would be a guardian angel to him? She shook her head to clear it. There would be plenty of time to mourn her unrequited love for Severus Snape. She would be happy with him just being alive.

Examining his neck, she noted the wound was almost sealed. It was time to return to her present. She placed the Time-Turner’s necklace around the two of them, set it, and spun it in the opposite direction of what she’d done previously. Within a few seconds, she was back in the current Shack with Severus still beside her on the floor. Removing the chain from around him, she levitated his body and placed it on the awaiting stretcher. Making the stretcher rise to float at about waist height, she reached around Severus’ body and Apparated the both of them to her home.

She examined his wound again, making sure that the traveling hadn’t opened it up. It actually looked almost healed. Just a dark red line remained, and she knew that it would disappear overnight. She moved Severus to the downstairs bedroom before levitating him off the stretcher and onto the bed that awaited him. Lastly, she poured some dreamless sleep into his mouth. He would need to rest without any interruptions for the night.

She stood and went over to the cot that was set against the wall. She didn’t want to go too far away from him in case he needed anything. As she lay there, she looked over at him. He was just as she’d remembered him, except that he was covered in blood. She frowned and rose again. She’d been so concerned with healing him, she hadn’t even noticed how awful he looked. Chanting _“Scourgify”_ she cleaned him up and transfigured his clothes into clean ones. She levitated him and quickly cleaned up the bedsheets as well before feeling she could let him rest.

Returning to her cot, she looked him over again. He wasn’t traditionally handsome, but he was definitely nice to look at, and she personally found him striking. She had grown to love his nose in her youth, and now she looked at it and wished she could stroke her fingers down it. She huffed and rolled her eyes. She was truly pathetic. Nothing would come of her affections for Severus; she understood that. She was really just happy that he was alive again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks to Amortentia in my Veins for the fabulous beta work.  
> Next up: Severus awakens.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Amortentia in my Veins for the great beta work!

It was finally morning. Hermione watched carefully as Severus opened his eyes. Rising from her cot and sitting on the edge of the bed, she touched his arm.

“Are you thirsty?” she asked.

He squinted at her. “Hermione?” he asked. “You look beaut… ” He cleared his throat. “ …older.”

She smiled at him as she helped to prop him up. Handing him a glass of water, she watched as he sipped it slowly, all the while gazing at her curiously.

“Did we win?” he asked.

Her lips turned up again slightly, although sadly, and nodded.

“What of Potter?”

“He was victorious.”

“But according to Dumbledore, he needed to die.”

Sighing, she explained all of it. “Again, Dumbledore didn’t reveal everything. Harry did die but was able to return and defeat Voldemort.”

Severus winced at the name. Hermione reached out and grasped his arm. “You never have to worry about him again, Severus. It’s all over, and our world is safe.”

“Who did we lose?” he asked quietly.

“Too many…”

She numbered the dead as she wiped tears from her eyes. Even after all these years, thinking of that time made her cry.

He reached out and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up memories that are upsetting.”

Hermione sniffed. “It’s okay. I knew we’d have to talk about this. I just have never gotten over all the loss, and having you here has made everything seem like it was just yesterday.”

He looked at her for a minute before speaking again. “You never said why you look so much older.”

“I am thirty-three. I’ve pulled you into my present—your future. We weren’t able to save you in the past. You bled out before anyone was able to help you. When the Healers examined you, they found traces of antivenin in your bloodstream. It had partially worked, but it wasn’t enough to counteract all of Nagini’s venom.”

He nodded. “I wanted to be prepared for any eventuality, but an overdose of the antivenin can be just as dangerous as the venom itself. I guess I miscalculated in the end.”

“Oh, Severus, you were brilliant. I think if that awful snake hadn’t gone for your neck, you would have survived.” She looked down then. “In order to save your life, I had to develop an antidote to counteract anything internally damaged by the venom. I worked in a blood replenishing factor and added something to help the wound close permanently. I also needed to track down some phoenix tears and then develop a Time-Turner. It took… an inordinate amount of time. I came as soon as I could to save you. I wish it had taken less than fifteen years.” She cringed at him then.

“How were you able to develop all of that, Hermione?”

“I am a Potioneer. I studied under Ralphe Williams.”

Severus arched an eyebrow at her.

“Of course, I would have rather studied under you,” she admitted.

They were both quiet for a while, each buried in their own thoughts.

“I hope you don’t mind that I brought you into the future,” Hermione finally said. “I can take you back to your present if you would like. I had no idea if anyone else would come upon us in the shack. I didn’t want to be attacked while trying to save you. It was just easier to finish healing you in my home instead of in that horrid shack.”

His level gaze didn’t waver, and he continued to be silent. She began to fidget as he regarded her.

“I think staying in the present would be preferable. I’d like to avoid being put into Azkaban.”

“Severus, you’re a war hero. Your name was cleared. They named a tower of Hogwarts after you and posthumously gave you an Order of Merlin. If you want, I can return you to the time after all of that was settled? It may be easier to make an appearance after the world accepted your innocence and move forward from there.”

“How can everyone consider me a hero? I murdered Albus.”

“Harry, Ron, and I fought to get your name cleared. They actually allowed your memories to be used as evidence because they felt a man about to die had no reason to alter his memories.” She regarded Severus seriously. “The world understands your sacrifice, Severus.”

He studied her some more and was quiet. Hermione could see him processing all she had said.

“I find that hard to believe.” His lips thinned. “In any case, I suppose that’s good news.”

“Severus, Harry was very careful with your memories. Only those who absolutely needed to view them were privy to what they were. Even I haven’t seen them.”

He nodded then and sighed. “Well, I guess that’s a plus.”

He thought some more. “No, I think I’d like to remain here,” he answered absently. “I could truly have a fresh start with so many years separating me from the battle. Having been dead for so long, no one would even notice me.”

Hermione grinned. “I highly doubt that.”

“Nevertheless, I like the idea of the distance from that time.” He sat thoughtfully for a bit. After a while, he looked back up at her and continued. “What you did was magnificent.” He paused. “Thank you.”

His gaze continued to hold hers. “But why?” he asked finally. “Why did you do this?”

“I couldn’t stand the thought of you being dead.” She looked down at her hands. “I wanted you to have the chance to live a life that isn’t buried in spy work and subterfuge. I wanted you to live free.”

“Hermione, the cost was too great. You spent half your life trying to save me.”

She met his eyes again. “Oh, Severus, it’s not all I concentrated on. I’m a Potioneer as well as the Deputy Minister for Magic. I’m well on my way to becoming the head of the government. I’ve not been buried in my lab or anything.”

He looked relieved. He arched an eyebrow at her. “Deputy Minister for Magic, eh?”

She nodded. “I evidently live for bureaucracy.”

He smirked, but his face became serious once again within an instant. He looked down to his lap.

“I’m not worth all the extra effort you took to save me.”

Hermione bristled, indignant that Severus had been treated so badly he couldn’t see any worth within himself.

“That’s not true, Severus. I’ve been telling you for a while how much you’re worth.”

Severus looked at her and reached out for her hand. “I still don’t understand why you did all this for me.”

She shrugged. “It was worth it,” she replied and quickly changed the subject while pulling her hand free of his.

“I wanted to ask you something. You called me your Guardian Angel last night. Who did you think I was?”

Severus arched an eyebrow at her. “I can’t remember anything that happened after Nagini attacked me, but If I called you my Guardian Angel, then I knew it was you.”

Hermione’s mouth dropped open. “How can that be? I figured you were seeing Lily.”

Severus’ eyebrows furrowed. “Lily? Why would I have seen Lily?”

Hermione gave a quick grimace. “You’re in love with her.”

“Who told you that?” Severus asked sharply.

“After you had died, Harry did tell Ron and me about your memories.” She raised a hand to ward off any tirade from him. “Don’t get me wrong. Like I said earlier, I’ve never seen them, but he told us of your love for his mother.”

Severus scowled. “I suppose I shouldn’t fault him for that. I was dead, and there were no more secrets to protect, but it’s not what you’re thinking. I didn’t spend my life pining away for Lily Potter.”

“But Harry said that’s why you did everything that you did.”

He nodded. “Yes, it was for a while, but I eventually embraced the cause for myself as well. I started out of obligation and respect for her. Because of me, she died. I felt the only way to atone for that was to do all that I have done for her. I fell in love with her a long time ago. She didn’t love me—she chose another—and I understand that it would have never worked out.”

He was quiet for a bit, lost in his past. “Part of me will always love her in a way, but it’s more as a good friend. I am not so obsessed with her that my eyes are blind to anyone else around me.”

He looked at her as she nodded while eyeing him skeptically.

“It’s true. We hadn’t been close since we were young. There was no way that I would expect to see her in any form on my deathbed, nor would I want to. She chose her soulmate, and it wasn’t me. After so many years, one gets used to that fact. I have never seen her as any kind of Guardian Angel.”

“But your Patronus is a doe. I’ve seen it myself. Isn’t that for her?”

He held her gaze as he answered. “Yes, in a way it was for her. Hermione, how is a Patronus cast?”

“Well, by conjuring up happy memories in your mind.”

He nodded. “Exactly. As my life has been miserable for as long as I can remember, you can imagine I have very few incredibly happy memories. The ones I treasured and meant the most for me involved Lily, so of course, my Patronus is what it is. To be honest, it gave me some comfort to see it, which also made me happy. It equally made me melancholy for a woman who didn’t deserve to die as she did.”

They were both silent for a while as he reminisced about the past, and she mulled over what he had said.

“Hermione,” Severus continued finally. “Ever since the Forest of Dean, I have thought of you as my Guardian Angel. You’ve let me unload my hardest emotions and have been there to buoy me up. Having someone know what I was truly doing gave me a relief that I didn’t think possible. No matter where you were, I always knew that someone was aware of the truth about me. I can’t explain to you how much of a comfort that was. I owe you so much for doing that for me.”

“Severus, I… I just wanted to ease your burden a little.”

He reached out and squeezed her hand. “And you did.”

She could feel herself turning red. She pulled her hand out of his and stood abruptly. “I’ll let you rest.”

He nodded slowly. She could feel his eyes on her as she hastily retreated from the room.

She quickly mounted the stairs and went to her own bedroom. Flopping on the bed, she put her hands over her eyes and groaned. This was so much harder than she thought it would be. She was ecstatic that Severus was here and alive, but all she really wanted to do was hug him and tell him of her feelings. She couldn’t, though.

Even though he said he was grateful for her help, she knew that didn’t mean anything romantic. In her heart, she hoped he would learn to be, but she had no idea what to do to attract him. She didn’t have any idea how to remotely tell if he was even interested, or if he was just being polite because he owed her his life.

Huffing, she got up from the bed and moved to the window, staring out of it.

The thing was, she had no idea what she was doing. When he’d taken her hand, she’d panicked. She didn’t know what to do so she just pulled her hand away from his. She’d always been a bookworm, and the last fifteen years of ignoring anything that didn’t have to do with bringing Severus back hadn’t helped her awkwardness. She had no idea how to make him notice her.

Hermione closed her eyes. She wanted this so much. She wanted _him_ so much. She just had no idea what to do about it. She shook her head at her awkwardness.

_I’ll just let him recuperate and worry about all this later,_ she thought as she turned from the window and sat in her chair and worried her lip.

He was alive, and she was grateful for that, but she feared he could never be hers.

____________________

It was some time later when she returned with a small tray of food. Entering the room, she noted Severus was sitting up in the bed. He’d showered, found the clean clothes she’d left for him, and was dressed in black trousers and a dark green button-down shirt. She thought he looked incredibly handsome in that outfit. As she came in, he looked up at her and lowered the Potions Quarterly he was reading that had been left on the nightstand.

“There have been quite a few strides in Potions creation since I left the world,” he noted.

“I’m sure you’ll be caught up in no time.”

He grunted. “I’m not so sure. There are a lot of new things to learn.” He looked at her. “Perhaps you can help me with that?”

She neared the bed and placed the tray on the nightstand. “I’d be happy to help,” she replied and smiled. “I thought you may be hungry. The remedies I gave you should have healed your throat completely, so I think you should be able to eat normal food without any pain where the snake bit you. I’ve brought you a ham sandwich with some crisps and a soda.”

He smiled and thanked her. Taking the tray and setting it on his lap, he tucked in. “I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.” He said with his mouth full. “I don’t think I ate anything at all the day of the battle.”

“Would you like me to bring you something more?” Hermione asked.

He shook his head while he chewed his mouthful of sandwich. “This is perfect.”

“Are you feeling all right? Are you having any side effects from the snake bite or the cure?”

“I feel fine. I was going to ask if you were going to let me out of this room, or am I to be your captive forever?”

She glared at him. “You do realize, Severus Snape, that you were almost bloody dead less than twenty-four hours ago. A bit of a lie-in isn’t going to hurt you.”

He smirked at her while quickly finishing the rest of his lunch. Placing the tray back on the nightstand, he rose and held his hand out to her. “Let’s go, then,” he said.

Hermione sputtered and looked at his hand. “Severus, you really need to rest.”

“I’ve been resting all morning. Let’s go take a walk around the block.”

With some hesitancy, she finally placed her hand in his and rose from the bed.

“After you, my dear, as I have no idea how to get out of here,” he said as he motioned with his hand for her to lead.

“One usually uses the door,” she quipped.

He arched an eyebrow at her but said nothing. She turned and guided them out of the bedroom, down the hallway, and out the front door into the bright sunshine. Severus squinted and shielded his eyes with his free hand. He looked back at her house, which was quite stately. It was two stories, made of grey stone, and had a turret on the right side. There were no houses close by; the nearest dwelling was a ways down the road.

“Lovely home,” he acknowledged as he viewed the house in its entirety.

“Thank you,” she replied.

“Where are we?”

“On the outskirts of Whitby. The sea is a couple of miles that way.” She pointed to her left, and he gazed in the direction she pointed and nodded.

She noticed he hadn’t let go of her hand. Electricity shot through her as he turned back to her, and her eyes met his. It would be so easy to lean in and kiss him, but she didn’t want to ruin everything. She nervously looked away as they walked along the pathway from her home to the street.

“How long have you lived here?” he asked as they ambled to the road and turned onto it.

“I moved here soon after the war. I found I needed a place where I could be away from everything. The media went wild once Voldemort was defeated. There was really nowhere to go where I wasn’t accosted for a picture or a question. Fan mail came in by the bag-full and men threw themselves at me!” She huffed. “They didn’t even know me,” she said in exasperation.

“Do you have a man in your life, Hermione? Weasley, perhaps? You seemed to be rather inseparable during the war.”

Hermione shook her head. “We were together for a short time, but it didn’t work out.” She scoffed. “I even tried dating some of those crazed suitors, but once I realized they just wanted to be seen with the Gryffindor Princess, I avoided them.”

Severus smirked. “Gryffindor Princess?”

“That’s what Rita Skeeter dubbed me, and the moniker stuck.” She rolled her eyes. “That woman is horrid.”

“Well, I rather think the name suits you,” Severus said quietly while looking at the ground.

Hermione chuckled. “Then you will not be upset to know that you have a nickname too.”

“Hmm let me guess…The Spy Who Died?”

She released his hand to slap him on the arm. “Good grief, of course not!!” she cried. She immediately regretted letting his hand go, as he didn’t reach back out to take hers in his again. She felt a little bereft with its loss.

He rolled his eyes. “Then what, pray tell, did they call me?”

Hermione smiled. “The Prince of Deception.”

Severus scoffed. “The Prince of Deception and the Gryffindor Princess. What about your friend Weasley, what was his superhero name?”

Hermione laughed. “Word got out that he battled Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement, and so he will forever be the Ginger Daredevil.”

“I suppose it was too hard for the public to just use our names. We all should have expected it after the dubbing of The Boy Who Lived.”

Hermione nodded. Severus stopped walking suddenly. He reached out to Hermione. “Everything is spinning,” he remarked.

“Oh! Let’s get you to sit on the ground,” Hermione said. She reached out and eased him into a sitting position. He immediately put his head between his hands and breathed heavily. After a few minutes, he seemed to settle and looked back up at her.

“Perhaps we should head back. I seem to have overexerted myself.”

Hermione nodded. Standing, she helped him to stand as well. He seemed to be all right, but she grasped his arm tightly anyway as they walked back to the house, offering to balance him if he felt dizzy again.

“Couch or bed?” Hermione asked as they entered the home.

“Couch,” Severus replied.

She eased him over to the couch and settled him in. She sat down next to him and pulled her wand out, performing several diagnostic spells.

“Looks like you’re fine,” she said. “Just fatigued from everything that’s happened.”

Severus looked into her eyes. Every time the man made eye contact with her, she felt her stomach drop ten feet.

“Thank you,” he replied softly. “For dragging me back here and for saving my life. I owe you a life debt.”

She opened her mouth to say something but paused. “Severus,” she said contemplatively. “You owe me nothing. Please don’t think of it like that. You have spent enough time under the thumb of someone else. I saved you so you would be able to live your own life, free of obligations or ties to anyone.”

“Hermione, that’s not how a life debt works. You know that.”

Hermione studied his face for a while and drew her wand out. “There’s a way to overcome a life debt.”

His eyes widened. “You would truly do the Wand Oath of Freedom with me?”

She gave him a determined look. “I want you fully free, Severus Snape.”

He pulled out his wand and crossed it over hers. “You’re sure? It may come in handy someday.”

“I’ve managed to stay alive all these years without it. I’m sure.”

He smiled at her thinly as he touched his wand to hers.

“I, Hermione Granger, do witness before these wands and the entire world that I release Severus Snape of his life debt owed to me. He has spent his life in service of others and has the right to not be bound to anyone without his own choosing.”

“I, Severus Snape, do agree to the releasing of this life debt from Hermione Granger, but do swear to look out for and protect her whenever it is necessary.”

Hermione looked at him in shock as sparks flew from both of their wands. The duo was surrounded by a golden light, and then all returned to normal.

“Severus, you… you didn’t have to do that,” she mumbled as she holstered her wand.

“I know, but it was my choice.”

Her eyes met his. “Thank you,” she responded. “You don’t know what that means to me.”

He smirked at her, and their eyes were locked once again in an intense look. Hermione shivered before breaking the connection.

“Can I get you anything?” she asked breathily.

“Grab that potions text. I’d like to review some things there with you.”

She smiled and retrieved the journal. They spent the next several hours going over the advances in the Potions world since the war.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to my lovely beta Amortentia in my Veins. And thank you for reading!

The next day Severus insisted on taking another walk after breakfast.

“I feel fine! Better than fine. What was in that potion you gave me? It’s as if the last ten years never happened!”

“Well, technically for you, they didn’t,” Hermione said with a smirk.

Severus huffed, but Hermione could tell he was amused at her joke. She thought about the potion and how it worked.

“There are some rejuvenating ingredients in it. I didn’t test it for those aspects; I just wanted to make sure it would heal Nagini’s wounds completely. I remember how hard it was to heal Arthur when he was bitten.”

“It must have worked to heal anything else that was ailing me. Hermione, you need to publish your work on this. It’s miraculous.”

“I published it when I created it, but I hadn’t realized its additional aspects. Will you test it with me?”

“Of course I will. I haven’t really been able to brew creatively in a long time.”

“I have a lab in the basement.”

“Don’t you need to get to the Ministry later? You said you were the Deputy Minister of Magic yesterday.”

She nodded. “I’ve taken a month’s vacation. I wasn’t sure how your recovery would be, so I gave myself enough time to help you heal and acclimate to everything.”

“So, we have a month to hide away in your lab? Sounds heavenly. When can we get started?”

Hermione blushed, despite knowing that he only meant brewing for the month and not being with her.

“Whenever you’d like to, Severus.”

He smirked at her, and her heart fluttered. “No time like the present,” he replied.

“I thought we were taking a walk?” she retorted.

“Walks can wait,” he said impatiently as he made his way to her stairs and down them.

“Well, wait for me!” she cried as she raced after him.

____________________

Several hours later they emerged from the lab. Hermione reflected on the ease in which they brewed together. She expected him to be persnickety in the lab and critical of her work, but he wasn’t at all.

“Hermione,” Severus said, interrupting her thoughts. “Thank you for indulging my whim to want to brew today. I think your potion definitely is showing promise to be able to consistently heal more than just new injuries.”

She looked over at him and smiled. “You’re welcome. I really enjoyed it. We have a ways to go with the trials of this potion, and we should definitely collaborate in the future.”

“Yes, I would like that,” Severus said as his eyes moved to hers. Hermione caught her breath as he leveled a gaze at her that filled her with warmth. She smiled wider at him as his lips curled up slightly. A veritable grin for Severus Snape, she decided. Feeling drawn to him, she fought to not give away her feelings. She tore her gaze from him and hurried into the kitchen.

“I’m famished,” she said breathily. “What shall we make for dinner?”

“What are our choices,” he asked as he moved up behind her.

Opening the refrigerator, she peered into it. “Well, there’s some ground beef, chicken, and…” she pulled a paper-wrapped parcel out. “Salmon.” She looked up at him with an arched eyebrow.

“You want the salmon,” he stated directly.

“Are you reading my mind?”

“Should I be?”

She snorted at him. “No! But how did you know that?”

He thought about it for a minute. “I think that after all the time we’ve spent together in the past, I’m rather adept at reading your mood.”

“Yes, well it doesn’t take a Legilimens to figure out that you’re pretty pleased with yourself right now,” she replied.

“See, you can do it too,” he said and smirked at her.

Arching her eyebrow at him again, she continued. “You can take your smugness and put it to good use by peeling some potatoes.”

He gave a slight bow. “As you wish, my lady,” he replied and quickly found the potatoes and a peeler and set to work.

Smiling, she shook her head at him and began to prepare the fish. They worked similarly the way they had in the lab. Although the kitchen wasn’t cramped, it wasn’t incredibly roomy either, but they both managed to use their space and not get in each other’s way. Soon dinner was ready and they were sitting down at her table.

They ate silently for a while, enjoying the meal. The silence didn’t bother Hermione. It was one of those comfortable ones where each person involved didn’t feel the need to be or do anything extreme. It was actually quite pleasant, and Hermione marveled at the domesticity of it. Spending the day with Severus had been really wonderful. Much of his cold manner during the war had disappeared. Being who she was, she couldn’t let her curiosity about that dwindle.

“Severus, you’re different than I expected you to be,” she remarked.

He looked up at her. “How so?”

“You’re calm and relaxed. You haven’t lost your temper all day. You’re just different.”

“I suppose death will do that to a person,” he said with a grin.

Hermione huffed. “Technically you were never dead.”

Severus put down his fork and sat back. “No, but in a way I was. Being a spy for so long killed me. I played the role of the bitter, nasty man who hated everyone. It was the only way I could keep everyone safe. The more they knew about me, the more danger I was putting them in. And that last year…” he sighed.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with all of that. Your colleagues felt really bad once they found out the truth.”

He shrugged.

“Really, Severus. I think Minerva was the most remorseful. She had always considered you to be a good friend prior to that year. She’ll be happy to see you again, I think.”

He winced. “I doubt it. What I did was unforgivable.”

Hermione huffed. “What you did, Severus Snape, was heroic.”

“Don’t!” he demanded, pointing at her so she would say no more.

“Why not?” she demanded just as sharply.

“I killed my friend. No matter the reasoning, there is no forgiveness for that.”

“And yet, you accepted my forgiveness all those years ago. You accepted me as a friend and didn’t feel the need to wallow in guilt around me.”

“That was different! The stakes were too high. If I had wallowed in self-pity we’d have never won the war.”

“Then don’t wallow in self-pity now. Minerva misses you! She still talks about you fondly, Severus. She holds no grudges. Once everything came to light, it was obvious that you were innocent of murder, and what you did do amounted to a mercy killing.”

Severus stared at the table for several minutes. Hermione watched him process her words. He was a smart man. He’d come to the right conclusion.

“Do you really think so?” he said very softly after a while.

She rose and came around the table. Kneeling before him, she placed her hands on his leg. Looking into his eyes, she replied assertively, “I know so, Severus.”

He closed his eyes and sighed in relief. “I didn’t think it possible.”

“That man you were died in the Shack. After your death, you were exonerated not just by the courts, but by your friends. They saw you for who you really are.”

His eyes opened, and he looked at her. She saw great vulnerability in his gaze. “And who am I, Hermione?”

She choked up, and her answer was wrought with emotion. “The bravest man I know.”

His eyes met hers and held her gaze intensely. Hermione’s breath caught. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he was about to kiss her. Suddenly, the look disappeared, and Severus was standing. He moved behind the chair as Hermione stood as well. He again met her gaze.

“Thank you for that,” he whispered.

Hermione reached out and grasped his forearm. “It’s true, and I’m not the only one who thinks that.”

Severus cleared his throat and looked away. “How about that walk we were going to take this morning? It’s a nice evening, and I could use some fresh air.”

Despite wanting to envelop him in her arms, she merely nodded. Quietly, they made their way to the door and out into the night. Severus walked silently, looking down at the ground. Hermione wondered at his sullenness.

“Look, the stars are beautiful tonight,” she remarked as she pointed to the sky.

Severus looked up finally. “Yes, and it’s so very clear out here so you can see so many.”

“The open night sky was one of the few things I enjoyed about our extended camping trip during the war. I’d look forward to the evenings when I could see everything, including the Milky Way.”

“If I recall correctly, I usually found you studying the sky when you were waiting to meet with me during that time.”

She nodded. Suddenly she pointed up. “Severus, did you see that shooting star?”

Severus looked up into the sky, but the star had already disappeared. A second later, though, Hermione gasped as another and another streaked through the sky. All in all they counted ten. Hermione turned to Severus and grinned at him. “That was so amazing!” she exclaimed.

Severus smiled back at her, but soon his smile turned to a scowl.

“Severus, what is it?” Hermione asked.

“Nothing,” he said curtly. “I’m just feeling… tired. Let’s head back.”

“Okay,” Hermione responded in confusion. He’d seemed to be enjoying himself; she wasn’t quite sure why he suddenly wanted to go back. They turned and walked back to the house in silence. When they entered the house, Severus briefly said good night and disappeared into his room. Hermione watched after him, wondering if she’d said something to upset him. She sighed. That man was still an enigma. Shaking her head, she cleaned up the kitchen quickly then retired to her bedroom as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta, Amortentia in my Veins! And thanks to you for reading.

A week had passed, and Severus and Hermione had settled into a routine. Severus’ mood from the night they saw the meteor shower had lifted almost immediately, and Hermione found him to be a pleasant roommate.

“We’ll need to go into town for some groceries,” Hermione said to Severus as they ate breakfast that morning. “We’ve pretty much eaten all the food in the house.”

He smiled at her. “It would be nice to get out of the house for longer than our walks have been taking us.”

“Yes, it’s about time you saw the village. It’s quite quaint.”

After breakfast, they Apparated to an alley near the center of town.

“I see what you mean by quaint,” Severus mused as he noted the small buildings, all painted white with red roofs. “I also see why you like it here so much. It must seem like a getaway from the hustle of London.”

Hermione nodded while she led them to the local market. This building was a little larger than the cottages but still was painted white with the red roof. They were greeted instantly by the owner upon entering the store.

“Hermione, it’s nice to see you!”

“Good morning, Celeste. It’s nice to see you, too,” Hermione replied.

“And who is this striking man you’ve brought along with you? Have you finally found the man of your dreams?”

Hermione blushed as she laughed and looked towards Severus. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to announce his return from the dead just yet.

Severus bowed his head slightly to the woman. “I’m Tobias Prince,” he offered.

“We’re old friends,” Hermione added. “He’s visiting from abroad.”

“So, he’s single?”

Hermione looked awkwardly at Severus and nodded slightly. She saw Severus’ lips thin slightly into a frown.

“Welcome to our little town!” Celeste said as she grinned broadly, ignoring his perturbed look.

Her eyes lit up as she showed interest in the man before her stepping closer to him. She took his arm and pointed him toward the back of the store.

“Let me show you around, Tobias Prince.”

Hermione gaped after the two of them as Celeste spirited Severus away for a tour. She noted the small smile on his lips as he looked from the shop owner to where she was pointing at her vegetables and back again. Hermione narrowed her eyes at Celeste. The woman was around Severus’ age and quite pretty. Hermione’s heart clenched within her as she watched Celeste fawn all over him.

She sighed and turned away in a huff, moving over to the tomatoes and choosing several. After placing them in her basket, she moved on to the other vegetables and soon filled the basket. Looking around for Severus, she found him in the back corner by the dairy items, still being accosted by Celeste. To her annoyance, Severus seemed to be hanging on the witch’s every word.

Dismally she watched them a bit longer. Of course, he’d find her enchanting. She was a wonderful person, and quite beautiful too. She had baby blue eyes, perfect lips, a pert nose, and long, dark, straight hair that went to the middle of her back. And then there was the rest of her. Hermione chewed her lip. She couldn’t compare to the shapely woman who was chatting Severus up at the moment.

Moving over to the meat section, she flung several items into the basket, almost smashing the tomatoes. She then stalked over to Severus and Celeste.

“I think I have everything we need,” she said crisply.

Severus grasped Celeste’s hand and shook it. “Thank you for the tour. It was very educational.”

He smiled at her and released her hand.

Celeste leaned into him and softly said, “I’m off at seven if you’d like to get some dinner. I know a place.”

His eyebrow rose. “I’m sure you do.”

He glanced over at Hermione, who was seething, and looked back to Celeste. “However, I’ll have to pass tonight. I have much to do. Perhaps… another time.”

Celeste tittered. “I’ll hold you to that!” she exclaimed and turned away, heading towards the checkout stand.

Hermione glared after her and huffed.

“Something wrong?” Severus asked.

Hermione caught herself and tried to make her face not look like she was about to explode. It was difficult, but she was able to give a wan smile to Severus after a few seconds.

“Oh, no,” she said. “I just thought they were out of chicken, but there it is over there.” She headed over and grabbed a package of breasts, placing it into her basket right on top of the one she’d picked out a few minutes prior. Avoiding Severus’ gaze and the obvious raised eyebrow he was giving her, she hurried over to the checkout and paid for the goods. They both took the packages and said goodbye.

As she hurried out of the store, Severus caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

“Why in such a rush?” he asked curiously.

“I just…” she paused. “It’s nothing. Did you want to go anywhere else?”

“You’ve been on edge ever since we walked in there. What’s going on, Hermione?”

She looked to the ground, trying to find the words that wouldn’t make her look like a love-sick fool. There really weren’t any. She heaved a sigh before explaining.

“Celeste was… she was…” her eyebrows scrunched together. “She was pawing all over you!”

She looked up at him. He was giving her a confused look.

“She was just being polite,” he replied.

She huffed. “I’ve seen Celeste be polite. It doesn’t involve dragging handsome men around the store and falling all over them.”

“Handsome?”

“I mean…” Her eyes sought his. “You know what I mean.”

“I can’t say that I do,” he replied curiously.

Hermione scowled and looked to the ground again. “Surely, you know you’re good looking.”

Severus laughed. It was a guttural sound, and Hermione was surprised that such a sound could be made by the dour man.

“I think you’re delusional, witch. You’ve spent too long trying to resurrect me; you’ve forgotten what good-looking men look like.”

Her mouth dropped open. “I certainly have not! I wasn’t a hermit, you know! I’ve got eyes, and I am perfectly capable of recognizing the finer points of any man.”

Severus lifted his hand and turned it to feel Hermione’s forehead. “You don’t seem to be running a fever, so you must not be delusional after all.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled it down. “Very funny! Honestly, Severus, how could you not see yourself as good looking?”

Severus shrugged. “The term ‘Greasy Git’ comes to mind.”

She gaped again. “That was a stupid nickname given by _children_ , and I never called you that. Besides, there’s more to looks than hair, and you’re hardly greasy now.” She looked at his black hair, which seemed relatively well taken care of.

Severus rolled his eyes. “Large nose.”

Hermione shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with your nose.”

“If you need a landing strip.”

She laughed. “Severus Snape, who knew you were so self-conscious! You’ve always seemed quite sure of yourself.”

Hermione turned to him and reached out, brushing her finger along his nose. “I like your nose,” she said. “It’s a part of you, and it makes you looked distinguished. You wouldn’t be you without it.”

Severus huffed and turned from her, beginning to walk again towards their Apparition point. She followed along. “I suppose it’s just failing eyesight,” he said finally.

She’d had enough. She stopped, put her bag on the ground, and placed her hands on her hips.

“Stop this now, Severus Snape!” she hissed. “You have a chance to start a new life. Don’t mess it up by suddenly becoming self-conscious.”

Severus opened his mouth to say something, but she continued on.

“Celeste even called you striking when we came into the store. You are a good-looking man who could probably have any witch you wanted, including that one.” She pointed to the grocery store for emphasis. “Don’t miss chances just because you somehow think you’re not good enough.”

Severus huffed. “I never thought I wasn’t good enough, it’s everyone else who thinks that.”

“Nonsense, Severus. Anyone who can’t see how wonderful you are is just foolish.”

Severus looked to the ground and mulled over what she said. “So, you think I should take the witch up on her dinner offer?” he asked finally while looking back up at her and arching an eyebrow.

Her stomach plummeted. “Well, I wasn’t saying that exactly. It’s just that…”

She closed her eyes. Who was she kidding? If he was interested, he should go for it. She’d brought him back to life so he could actually live. She took a deep breath and looked back at him.

“If… if she interests you, then yes,” she looked down. “She’s a beautiful woman. You should go for it.”

Peeking back up at him, she thought she saw disappointment in his eyes, and she wondered at that. He shrugged.

“She seemed nice, but I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet.” His eyes met hers. “Besides, she’s not my type.”

She couldn’t help her smile and hoped it didn’t show anything more than sympathy. “Well, when you’re ready… and the right type comes along…”

He gave a quick nod as she picked up the groceries, and they continued on their way.

oooOOOooo

The next day they decided to take an early walk. As they walked along the road, Hermione admired Severus. He wore a black button-down shirt and black jeans. Underneath his shirt was a white t-shirt peeking out of the open collar. She felt her pulse quickening and shook her head so she would stop lusting after the man next to her.

“Isn’t there a primary school here that is well known for its training of young witches and wizards?” Severus asked as they walked along.

“That would be Whitby Abbey. It appears to be in ruins to Muggles. It’s considered one of the top Primary schools in the country.” Hermione turned to Severus. “Would you like to see it?”

He bowed his head slightly. “That would be agreeable.”

Hermione took his arm in hers, and they Apparated behind several large rocks on the edge of the school grounds. Hermione led him around the rocks and motioned for him to take a look. Before them appeared an old church with no roof. Some of the walls were missing, and the entire floor was currently grass. The ruins sat atop a cliff overlooking the ocean.

“The Muggle government doesn’t let tourists explore the actual grounds,” she said as she pointed towards a Muggle taking pictures of the ruins. “They claim it’s to keep the ruin from being destroyed, but as you can expect it’s to not disturb the students. The wards here hide the actual appearance of the school from everyone, magical folk included. Once we pass through them, we’ll be able to see the church fully.”

She guided Severus around to an area that wasn’t readily visible to Muggles and looked for two stones set in the earth. She pointed at them. “This is the entrance.”

Severus went through, closely followed by Hermione. Once past the wards, the church was restored to its original beauty. An arched roof and beautiful stained-glass windows were now visible amid the ancient stone walls. Severus could see some gardens at the opposite end of the Abbey as well.

“Hermione, this is marvelous.”

“Yes, it’s gorgeous, isn’t it?”

She hurried off, and Severus followed her as they walked around the exterior of the building. They soon found themselves in the gardens. Severus’ eyes lit up as they entered them.

“It’s a Potioneer’s paradise,” he muttered as he looked around.

He was surrounded by belladonna, flitterbloom, goosegrass, silver fig, snakeweed… there were plants here too many to number.

Hermione smiled. “I thought you’d like it.”

She watched as Severus wandered around in the garden like a kid at Honeydukes. She couldn’t help but grin even more. Her heart seemed to explode within her. She truly loved this man. She wondered what it would take to ignite his interest in her as something more than just a friend.

She shook her head. It seemed so out of reach. He was such a serious person, and he was always very proper with her. It felt like it would take a miracle to have him see her as anything more than a friend.

Sighing, she moved to him and walked beside him as he stooped over to inspect the flitterbloom. Its long, tentacle-like leaves swayed in the light breeze that was sweeping over the plateau. Severus reached out and ran his hand over the leaves and let them brush his palm. He smiled and looked up at Hermione.

“This is simply magnificent. I could stay here all day,” he said to her.

“Well, as beautiful as these may be, there’s an even better sight over there,” she advised as she pointed to the edge of the cliff where the abbey was located.

He stood and grabbed her hand. “Well, let’s go then.”

He pulled her along until they were standing on the edge of the cliff. They looked down at the ocean below. Severus had not let go of her hand, and now he squeezed it.

“That’s breathtaking,” he murmured as he gazed at the water.

Hermione, however, could not take her eyes off their hands, grasped together. Her heart was in her throat, but she was fully enjoying the feeling of his hand in hers, squeezing her a little bit with affection.

He looked to her then to get her reaction and noticed where her attention was. He pulled his hand out of hers quickly and stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans. Her eyes were drawn to them involuntarily. She admired how nice he looked in black jeans, and of course, the black button-down he was wearing was incredibly sexy. She caught her breath as her eyes moved up to meet his. He was staring at her curiously. She smiled and quickly turned to the ocean. Clearing her throat, she decided to say something to break the awkward silence that was surrounding them now.

“It truly is beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Yesss,” he said hesitantly.

She couldn’t look at him. She turned to the left and pointed at the village below them. “I love how the village looks from up here, so quaint with all its little white houses with red roofs. That’s really what I love about this place. It’s so tiny; no one is going to come find me here.”

“Does the press still chase after you, Hermione?” Severus asked.

“Not like it used to, no. For the first five years, there was no escape from them, which is why I moved out here. It’s been steady since then, though not like it was those first years. Of course, Harry can never escape it. As the Deputy Minister for Magic, I have been in the public eye more these last years, but I can usually escape the press by coming here.”

“I’m sorry. I assume once I emerge from the dead, the circus will start all over again.”

She snorted. “Undoubtedly.” She looked at him. “When were you planning on telling the public?”

Severus looked at Hermione. “I’m not sure. I should probably relocate to London before saying anything. That way I can spare your home some craziness.”

Hermione frowned. “Severus, you don’t have to go because of that. If you leave I want it to be because you want to, not because you are fleeing the press or leading them somewhere else.”

“It won’t be fair to you or this town if I announce my rise from the dead while I’m living with you. The rumor mill alone will smear your reputation, and I don’t want to hurt your career.”

“Severus, I don’t care what the press say about me. They’ve been saying awful things about me for fifteen years now. More than that! Since the Triwizard Tournament, they’ve called me a hussy and so many other awful things. When Ron and I decided not to pursue a relationship I was dubbed the Hogwarts Harlot and the Frigid Ice Queen at the same time.”

“I remember the write-ups about you during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I’ve never had much respect for Rita Skeeter. Why do she and the rest of the press treat you so horridly?”

Hermione shrugged. “I suppose it sells papers.”

“As I said, I won’t put you through that. I should think about moving on anyway. I need to figure out if I have any assets left after fifteen years.”

“Your Gringotts account is intact. It was part of the proceedings when we were working to get you exonerated. Everyone was surprised that Harry was your beneficiary.”

Severus shrugged. “It just seemed the best thing to do. I have no family or anyone I would want to leave anything to. As I was protecting Potter already, it just made sense.”

Hermione nodded. “Yes, that does make sense. I asked Harry to give me control of your estate.”

She chuckled. “He thought I was daft, but he trusts me, you know? We’re joint holders of your account and we haven’t touched any of it. You’re Order of Merlin is in there along with the reward that goes with it as well.”

“I can’t believe you did that Hermione.”

“Well, it was both Harry and me. There’s something else, too. I did take out some of the money in your vault, and I invested it in Muggle stocks. You have quite a bit of money earned from those ventures as well. You’ll not be needing money any time soon. You can build the life you want to, Severus.”

Severus turned to Hermione and grasped her arms. “Hermione… I don’t know what to say. How can I thank you for this? It’s... it’s more than I could have ever expected.”

She shook her head. “It really was nothing. My cousin is a stockbroker. I just let him take care of the money for me with the stipulation that it would consistently grow and build for you.”

“But I was dead.”

“I’ve already told you it didn’t take me long to decide I wanted to do something about that.”

She suddenly found herself being embraced by Severus Snape. She marveled at how good his arms around her felt. She hugged him furiously in return. Maybe they could just freeze like this and never move apart?

“Hermione, I owe you too much. Thank you for everything you’ve done, but I don’t know how to repay you.”

She pulled back then and looked into his eyes. “Severus, I didn’t do this for you to feel beholden to me. We’ve already talked about that. You owe me nothing.”

“Hermione,” he grumbled.

“No! I accept your thanks, but that’s it.”

He looked at her for a long time before finally nodding and pulling away. He turned to the sea again. “Do you know what would be fun?” he asked.

“What?”

“Flying around the coastline here.”

She gasped. “But, someone may see us!” she cried.

“Not if we go that way,” he remarked as he pointed away from the village, where the coast was empty of anything but cliffs and sea.

“We don’t have our brooms,” she countered.

“We don’t need any,” he replied.

“It’s daylight; maybe we should wait for evening?”

“It will be fine. We can Disillusion ourselves.”

Fear gripped her. Despite being able to use a broom, she’d never really liked it. She couldn’t imagine this free-flying that Severus did to be any easier. Besides, he’d only been back from the dead for a couple of days, and that made her nervous. Would he be strong enough to carry both of them?

She felt him take hold of her arms once again.

“Hermione, I’ll make sure nothing happens. I’ve flown like this often. It’s exhilarating.”

“But you’re still recuperating.”

“That’s true, but I know my abilities. I have the strength to do this.”

She looked into his eyes and saw his sincerity. Of course, he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She trusted him to protect her. She finally nodded.

“Good,” he said. “Now, what you’re going to do is turn around and back up so you’re against me, then stand on my feet.”

“Won’t I hurt you?”

He quickly cast a weightlessness charm on her, and she turned and backed into him. Stepping on his feet she felt his arms go around her. She reached up and grasped at them tightly, holding on for dear life.

“Easy now. I’ve got you,” Severus said soothingly. “I’m going to step off the cliff. We’ll dip for a bit, but I promise we’ll be fine and move forward quickly.”

All she could do was nod. She tightened her grasp on his arms again, and he chuckled. He cast a quick Disillusionment before they began.

“Okay, here we go,” he said.

He quickly stepped off the cliff, and they began to fall. Hermione screamed, but within an instant, they were rising above the cliff and moving away from it along the shoreline. The wind whipped her invisible hair around her and caressed both of their faces. She gasped at the feeling of it against her skin. After a few minutes, her vicelike grip on Severus’ arms loosened.

“Not as bad as you thought, hmm?” he whispered in her ear. She felt chills go through her body all the way down to her toes with his nearness. Calming herself so she didn’t sound like a lovesick schoolgirl, she replied to him. “It’s wonderful.”

“I knew you’d like it once you tried it.”

She laughed lightly. His nearness was playing havoc with her. She felt him against her back, and she just wanted to turn and envelop him in her arms, kiss him senseless, and tell him she was his. She wondered if he’d ever want something like that from her. Deep within her heart, she knew she’d never find out because she may be brave, but she would never be brave enough to talk to him about this. Not without some inkling of how he may react.

Severus was steering them around over land now, and soon she saw her house in the distance.

“How did you know how to get back to my place from there?” she asked.

“I am a spy,” he said.

She chuckled. They landed soon after that, and she stepped off his feet. She turned as he took off the weightlessness charm and the Disillusionment. She looked up at him and smiled. The warmth in his eyes took her breath away. She wanted him to be hers and look at her like that all the time. Her smile turned wistful.

“Thank you, Severus. That was really amazing.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

They were so close still. She could lean in and kiss him if she’d wanted to. If he’d let her. But no. That wasn’t what their relationship was about. She stepped back and looked around her nervously. Severus scowled. 

“What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Severus muttered. “I’m going to head in. I want to catch up on some reading. Let me know when you’re going to start dinner, and I’ll help you.”

She nodded and watched him turn and go into the house. A great sadness enveloped her. Things were good with them, but she feared the closeness she yearned for would never be. He would leave and live his life, and she would be left here alone. She had her career, which was fulfilling, but she yearned to have someone to share her life with. She yearned for that someone to be Severus Snape, the man she’d loved for over fifteen years.

“Damn,” she muttered under her breath as she retreated into the house and shut the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for the fun part!  
> Thanks to my beta, Amortentia in my Veins. She's made of awesomeness.

Severus was pensive at dinner. He’d prepped silently, and they now sat across from each other and ate silently. Unlike their previous silences, though, this one was fraught with tension. Hermione looked at Severus, who was refusing to make eye contact with her. She placed her fork down next to her plate and leaned back in her chair.

“Severus, what’s wrong? You haven’t said anything all evening.”

He looked up at her as if he just realized she was there. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve been deep in thought. Hermione,” he cleared his throat and continued, “I am healed and feeling well. I think it’s time for me to move on with my life. I’ll find that flat in London and announce my return. I think just telling everyone I hid away in Romania or somewhere would be the easiest way to explain my many years’ absence.”

Her heart constricted within her. She felt tears sting her eyes and fought valiantly to not let them fall. She looked away and blinked furiously, trying to absorb them back into her eyes. Finally, she was able to look back at Severus.

“Please, Severus, don’t feel rushed. You can stay here as long as you’d like. We still have quite a bit of research to do on the potion. You can’t leave now.”

He regarded her silently for a bit. “No, I need to move forward. You don’t need me to be able to finish your research. You are an accomplished Potioneer; you will be fine. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me; I do. But as you said, I have my life to live, and I need to begin that sooner rather than later.”

His words stung.

Who was she kidding, they crushed her.

It was clear to her now exactly what he felt. Friendship, yes, but he could never feel love toward her. He didn’t see her that way.

She studied him, trying to take all of him in because when he left, her memories were all she would have of him. All those years of some small hope that he could somehow feel something for her… it was all dashed in pieces now. She memorized every line of his face as she looked at him, but she needed to escape from him. She couldn’t bear to sit there with him as he planned to leave her.

She stood. “I understand,” she choked out. “I’ll help you tomorrow with anything you need.” She noticed he was looking at her curiously. It didn’t matter; she needed to get away from him before she said something foolish. “I’m feeling a bit tired. I’m going to go to bed. Have a good night.”

She turned and sped from the room. Racing up the stairs, she entered her room and shut the door. By now tears were streaming down her face. She’d never felt this empty before. She had known this would happen. She’d understood he would never love her, but the reality hurt so much worse than she thought it would.

A sob escaped her lips, and she clapped her hand over her mouth. She cast a Muffliato and then let the tears come. The emptiness filled her as she sobbed. She didn’t know how she’d ever escape this hollow feeling. She was doomed to be miserable and alone for the rest of her life. Burying her head in her pillow she sobbed more, mourning what she never had and what would never be.

A little while later Severus knocked on her door, but she ignored him. He left her alone after three attempts. She buried her head in her pillow again.

Time was what she needed.

She huffed. Who was she kidding? He’d been dead fifteen years, and she still loved him. Now spending these last couple of weeks or so with him, she realized she loved him even more. She’d never get over Severus. She would always love him. Forever.

_____________________

Hermione woke to someone shaking her. She bolted up straight, extracting her wand and finding she was pointing it into Severus’ face. She quickly put it down.

“Merlin, Severus, you gave me a fright!”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

She looked around then, noticing it was still quite dark. She had cried and tossed and turned for what seemed to be forever before evidently falling asleep, but she still felt like she hadn’t slept in days. 

“What time is it?” she asked with a yawn.

“Four a.m.”

Her eyes widened as she pulled her wand out again and turned on the light on the bed stand.

“Severus, is everything all right?”

“I had a dream. I needed to ask you about it.”

“Ask me about a dream?”

Her brain had not quite caught up to her state of being awake, and she was having a hard time following him.

“What would I know about your dreams, Severus?”

“I think I dreamed about the night you saved me. I want to know if what I dreamed is memory or just a foolish dream.”

“Oh,” she said flatly.

Her heart constricted within her. She was afraid to hear what he’d dreamed, especially after their conversation and her realization the night before.

“Hermione,” Severus said quietly as he grasped her hand.

“Yes, Severus?” she replied as she looked at him, wary of what he’d say.

“The night you saved my life, you said I woke up, and that I called you my Guardian Angel. That’s what I dreamed.”

She froze in place and dread filled her heart. “Go on,” she said finally.

“Did I kiss you?” he asked carefully as he looked into her eyes.

She could only nod hesitantly. She prayed he’d not dreamed of her fervent declaration of love for him.

“And you said you loved me?”

Merlin, what should she say? She yanked her hand from his and tried to escape from the bed. He pulled her back down, but she wouldn’t turn towards him. Her eyes closed as she dreaded saying anything, yet also dreaded not saying something. She wanted to shield herself and not have to deal with the pain of admitting her love for him, but he’d dealt with duplicity all his life. She couldn’t do that to him. There was only one thing she could do. She hung her head and barely nodded.

She felt his hands grasp her arms and try to turn her to him. She held fast to her position.

“You said when I called you my Guardian Angel that you thought that I saw Lily instead of you. Were you pretending to be Lily when you said you loved me, or is that how you feel, Hermione?”

“Severus, please…” She looked away nervously.

“Do you truly love me?”

Tears streamed down her face. She knew this would be the end. He’d flee and never speak to her again, but she couldn’t lie to him. After all he’d been through, he deserved the truth. She turned back to him.

“Yes,” she said in a gasp, “but you’re leaving. You said it was time for you to go. You obviously don’t feel anything like that for me.”

“I was leaving because I didn’t think you felt anything but friendship for me. These last days have been wonderful but torture all the same. Hermione, how could you not have any idea how I feel?”

She turned to him then. His hands came up and wiped the tears from her face. “I remember everything about that night now. I knew it was you I was kissing in the Shack; I already explained that you were my Guardian Angel. I also knew I was going to die, and I wanted to taste your kiss on my lips just once before I died so I could at least have one happy moment before death.”

More tears fell from her eyes. She reached up and took his wrist in her hand trying to pull his hand away from her face.

“Severus, please…”

“I can remember seeing you. Merlin, it was like you were bathed in an ethereal light, and you were so _beautiful_.”

She looked into his eyes and saw sincerity.

“Hermione, I am in love with you. I have been enamored with you practically since that day in the Forest of Dean the first time when you were so determined to get my secrets from me. I marveled at how someone would care about how I felt because for the longest time no one had. Our meetings after that just strengthened my regard for you. I cursed myself, I’ll admit, knowing you could never feel anything for me. I was your old, ugly teacher. Why would you ever care for me?”

“Severus…”

“And last night… after flying with you, all I wanted was to be with you. But I’m no fool. I knew you couldn’t feel the same as I. I couldn’t see you feeling anything for me, and I just wanted to escape because every single minute with you has been sweet torture knowing we were only friends.”

His hand caressed her cheek lovingly.

“I’ve wanted to be with you so badly. After yesterday, I knew I had to leave here because I was dying inside without you, knowing you were right there, but so far from ever being mine. Why would you want someone like me?”

He closed his eyes and sighed but then quickly opened them, searching out her face again.

“Why wouldn’t I want someone like you?” Hermione whispered.

”Because you’re an angel, and I’m the devil incarnate.”

“Severus, don’t be absurd…”

She was interrupted by his lips touching hers tentatively. She gasped as she returned his kiss. His shyness blossomed into desire as his lips continued to kiss her. His hand slid behind her head and into her hair. She sighed at the feeling of finally kissing Severus Snape. After a bit, he pulled back, somewhat breathless as he continued explaining.

“That dream opened my eyes. For a minute I felt hope. It felt so foreign to me because hope is not a luxury I _ever_ let myself feel. The war left me hopeless about everything. I doubted that you could care for me like that. There was so much going on, and although I loved you then, my love for you had to be hidden. You were so young, and I didn’t want any harm to come to you.”

He scowled. “That night after you escaped Malfoy’s home… I was beside myself. At first, I didn’t know if you’d made it out alive, then I wondered how badly you’d been hurt. When we met that evening, I almost told you then about my feelings. I held back because I didn’t want to burden you with the ravings of an old, lustful spy.”

“Severus…”

“Shh,” he said softly, caressing her cheek before continuing. “When you saved my life, it was easy to convince myself that you only saved me because you’re one of the most caring souls I have ever met. It never dawned on me that you could feel the same way that I do, but Merlin, who would spend their life trying to save someone they just felt mild friendship for? It all makes sense now, how you dedicated yourself over the years to find a way to bring me back. Oh, Hermione…”

His lips came down on hers again, and she felt blissfully complete. As Severus’ tongue entered her mouth, she felt electricity surge through her body and pressed herself against him. His lips worshiped her as she fell into his all-consuming kiss.

At long last, they broke apart, a bit out of breath. Reaching up, she ran her finger down his nose. His eyes closed, and he sighed. She stretched up and kissed the tip of his nose quickly. He met her gaze with a shocked look.

“You’re not ugly, Severus. I already told you before that I find you very handsome. Merlin, you’ve been gone so long, just seeing you in front of me… You’re not ugly. You’re striking, and beautiful, and alive, and I love you.”

His hand came up and cradled her cheek. “I love you, too. If I had my way, we would never be separated.” His lips came down on hers then, and she tasted heaven in his kiss.

“I have loved you all these years,” she replied after catching her breath. “I had hoped that maybe you could feel something for me, but it seemed that we were just friends.” She gave him a small frown. “And when we went to town,” she bit her lip. “Celeste… she’s so beautiful. I can’t compare with her.”

His thumb stroked her cheek. “I told you she’s not my type. Compared to you, she is nothing. Do you not know how beautiful you are? Yes, Celeste is a lovely woman, but, Hermione, you take my breath away.”

His lips searched out hers again, and he lovingly kissed her. “You are everything, my love.”

“Severus,” she murmured as he kissed her over and over.

After a while, he pulled back. He looked into her eyes. “Why didn’t you answer your door last night?”

Hermione shrugged. “I’d been crying for a long time and knew I looked a mess. I also knew that looking into your eyes while I was so broken up would only result in me becoming hysterical again.”

He pulled her into his arms then, hugging her furiously. “I’m sorry, love. You had left so suddenly; it truly gave me pause. Several things that have happened over the last little while have seemed curious to me. I was going to ask you about them last night, but then when you didn’t open your door, I figured you were probably happy to see the backside of me, so I just let you be. I’m sorry I was so oblivious of your feelings.”

She nodded into his chest. “It’s ok, Severus.”

“No, it’s not,” he said in a clipped tone. “I will make sure you don’t ever doubt my love for you again.” He pushed her back a little, his eyes looking into hers. “You are everything to me, Hermione. I love you completely and without… reservation.” He kissed her cheek, and then her other cheek, and finally her lips. “I love you,” he said again finally as he pulled away from her lips. She made an annoyed sound and pulled him back to her, kissing him fully and falling into him with her soul.

I can’t believe this is happening,” Hermione murmured as she pulled away from Severus. “I thought I’d lost you.”

Severus drew her face up to his and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Hermione felt so loved in that minute, she felt as if she would faint. She returned his kiss hungrily, praying he’d never stop.

____________________

That afternoon, they were cuddling on the couch. Severus’ hand lazily caressed her hair as she leaned into him.

“Where do you stay when you are working, Hermione?”

“I have a flat in London,” she answered.

“Then I should have a flat in London as well. Will you come with me to find one?”

“Today?” she asked.

He shrugged. “No time like the present. You’ll need to get to work in a week or so, and I want to be close to you.”

She grinned. “I want you to be close to me.” She moved back so she could look into his eyes. “You know what, I’m pretty sure that there’s a vacancy in my building. You could move in there!”

He rose then and held out his hand to her. “Let’s go then before someone else snatches it up.”

She took his hand and giggled as he helped her up off the couch. He pulled her close and kissed her soundly. When he pulled back, she had a glassy look of desire in her eyes.

“Oh, Severus, you make me want to hole away in here with you forever.”

“However lovely that sounds, witch, we should get going.”

“You probably should put on a disguise, unless you’re ready to announce to the world you’re alive. I know it’s been a while, but I wouldn’t doubt there are people on the streets of London who would recognize you.”

“Good point. Stay right there.”

Severus was gone for a few minutes, returning looking a bit different. His hair had been tied behind his neck with a black ribbon. He wore a fedora and sunglasses and had changed his clothes as well. Dark grey pants and a red shirt graced his thin build. Hermione ogled him as he approached her and once again extended his hand to her.

“I thought subtlety was a good idea. People don’t usually see what they’re not looking for.”

“You look perfect,” Hermione said with a nod as she slipped her hand into his. “Quite sexy, actually.”

He grinned at her, and Hermione thought she just might swoon into his arms right then and there. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him smile before.

“Could you do that…” she pointed to his lips and made a circle with her finger, “a lot more from now on?”

“Only when I’m with you.”

She couldn’t help herself. She grinned like a loon. His lips came down upon hers, effectively stopping her smile with his passionate kiss. When he pulled back, he actually smiled again, and Hermione felt her heart swell with love for him.

“Shall we? I’ll leave it to you to get us where we need to go.”

Her arms surrounded him, and she squeezed him hard before spinning and Apparating them away. When they appeared in front of her building, Severus took it all in.

“Perhaps we should have stopped by Gringotts first,” he mused. “Are you sure I can afford this neighborhood, Hermione?”

She scoffed. “Like I said, you are very financially stable, and this place won’t be a hardship for you if you like it.”

He kissed her once again, long and hard. His hand came up and cupped her cheek as she lost herself in his all-consuming kisses. When they finally broke apart, she smiled coyly at him.

“I love you,” he told her.

“And I you.”

She grasped his hand and pulled him along. “Come on. Let’s go see if that flat is still available.”

They entered the building, and Hermione led him to the office. She asked about the flat and soon they were taking a tour of it. Severus took in the large sitting room before moving to the master bedroom. It was spacious and had a connecting bath. He crossed the hall to the second bedroom.

“This will do,” he said as he took in the room, which was only slightly smaller than the main bedroom. “It will work well as a lab.”

Hermione came in behind him. “Yes, it’s perfect. You can enforce the walls as well. I have done that in my flat.”

They returned to the office and soon all the paperwork was signed, and Severus had the keys to his new flat. The flat manager was sworn to secrecy about the identity of his new renter, and the couple made their way out of the office. They made a quick stop at Gringotts where Severus was quite pleased with the amount of money in his vault. After getting what he felt he needed, they spent the rest of the afternoon buying furniture for the flat.

After a long day, they looked around the now furnished flat. Severus smiled. The black sofa and loveseat he’d chosen looked striking against the white walls of the sitting room. He’d already changed the paint in the bedroom to a steel blue, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Hermione. He shrugged.

“What? I like this color.”

Hermione chuckled at him. “Everything looks lovely, Severus. This place suits you.”

His arms came around her. “Thank you for your help. Now, would you show me your flat?”

“Of course,” she said with a grin as she led him out of his new home to the elevator. They entered and rose to the top floor.

“The penthouse, hmm?” Severus mused.

“Of course! It’s actually included in my job. The Ministry can’t have its top people living in squalor,” she said dryly.

They moved to the top floor and entered her flat, the only one on the floor. Severus took in the posh residence, with its huge sitting area, large kitchen, and bath that would rival any at Hogwarts.

“It’s… huge.”

Hermione doubled over in laughter. “It’s so funny you reacted that way. That’s exactly how I felt when I first stepped into it. It’s furnished by the Ministry as well, which is why the sofa and other furnishings in here are so ostentatious.”

She sat on the gold couch and threw an arm up on the back of it.

“Because I have to entertain guests, I’m not allowed to change the furnishings in this room, however, the rest of the home is mine to do with as I wish.”

Severus strolled through to the Master bedroom, which was twice the size of his. He admired the tastefully furnished room, with purples and dark greys on the walls. There were two other bedrooms in this flat, one which held his interest completely, as it was her Potions lab. His fingers stroked along the table and over her cauldrons, carefully laid out on a bench at the side of the room. He noted one cauldron was full with a stasis charm placed upon it.

“That’s the antivenin potion,” Hermione advised as she joined him in the lab.

“Perfect, we can continue our research on its healing properties without any lag time.”

Hermione giggled at him. She came up to him and ran her finger along his hairline.

“Your enthusiasm for potions never ceases to amaze me.”

“There’s only one thing I’m more enthusiastic about,” he bantered.

“Oh really?” she asked innocently.

The smirk was wiped off her face as his lips came down on hers passionately. She marveled at his intensity, as if he wanted to take her into himself. She reveled in his passion and responded in kind. It was a very long while before they broke apart again.

“You are exquisite,” he murmured before kissing her again quickly.

“I love you, Severus Snape, now and forever.”

He smiled then and kissed her forehead. “I am yours forever, my love.”


	7. Chapter 7

Severus stood at the podium next to Kingsley Shacklebolt as he addressed the crowd. Hermione could see it was taking everything in Severus’ power not to roll his eyes at Kingsley’s pompous speech. The minister was doing a marvelous job in his role as head of the government, but he had fully embraced the spotlight and enjoyed being the center of attention. Despite all that, he’d reformed the Ministry, removing awful employees like Dolores Umbridge, and replacing them with people who worked hard and had the people’s best interest in mind. Hermione was honored to work for him.

“So, I would like all of us to think back to fifteen years ago when this man sacrificed everything to end the reign of Voldemort. Truly, without his efforts, we would not have prevailed. We welcome him back to London and to the British Wizarding World.”

With that, Kingsley shook Severus’ hand and retreated as Severus took the podium. He looked around sourly at the crowd that had gathered.

“As you all are probably foaming at the mouth to hear where I’ve been and what happened to me on that fateful night of the war, I shall indulge you in your curiosity. After being attacked by the Dark Lord’s snake and left to die, I found I was saved from paralysis and from the poison seeping through my veins by Fawkes, Albus Dumbledore’s phoenix. Once I was able to move again, I quickly Apparated to a safe house that was unplottable where I spent several days fully recuperating from my wounds. The Prince family has had an estate in Romania since the fourteen hundreds, and I have spent the last fifteen years there, not really associating with anybody. I found after a while that I missed Yorkshire pudding and bangers and mash, so I decided to come back to my birthplace and take up my life here once again.”

The din of questions was deafening. Some shouted and asked what he’d been doing these fifteen years, others asked why the phoenix had saved him. Some asked questions about his past and about Dumbledore.

“My statement is all I wish to say about this matter. I ask you to leave me in peace as I go about my own business.”

He withdrew from the microphone with a scowl and left the podium. Hermione met him at the base and hooked her arm with his. As they moved away, a flurry of new questions started up.

“Deputy Granger, what’s your relationship with Severus Snape?”

“How long have you known he’s alive?”

“Did you convince him to come back to England?”

“Are you shagging him?”

Severus’ head shot up at the last question. He grabbed the nearest microphone and glowered at the crowd. “My relationship with Hermione Granger is of no consequence to you. If I ever hear anyone besmirching her name in relation to me or anyone, you will all be very sorry! This press conference is _OVER!_ ”

His glower left nothing to the imagination. Everyone knew not to take a threat from Severus Snape for granted. The crowd dispersed without any other questions or comments loud enough to be heard by either Hermione or Severus. Taking hold of her arm, he Disapparated them back to his flat where Hermione wrapped her arms around him.

“You were masterful as always, Severus. I think some of those younger reporters may have actually wet themselves, you were so intimidating.”

“Thank you,” Severus ground out. “I don’t like them saying bad things about you.”

“Severus, it’s ok.”

He looked into her eyes. “No, it’s not. You have fought hard for your reputation. I know you said there are always people trying to sabotage you. I don’t want to be part of their plans to do so.”

Hermione kissed him then. They stayed like that for a long time, Hermione fully enjoying Severus and his wonderful mouth. She fell into his kisses and was swept away with his passion. They finally separated, and Severus rested his forehead on hers.

“Hermione,” he groaned. “You intoxicate me.”

She pulled herself from him, reached up, and kissed his forehead. “You intoxicate me as well. I love every minute with you.”

oooOOOooo

Hermione sat in her office, poring over a new bill being considered on Centaur rights. She’d been going through it for an hour now and felt she needed a break. She pushed the paperwork aside and got up, moving to the window in her office. Despite being many stories underground, she had an enchanted window that looked out over London as if she were in a skyscraper. It was her favorite part of her office.

She stared out at the skyline as she thought about Severus. He’d been back from the dead for six months now, and she’d never been happier. She was amazed that her love for him had only increased. They’d both grown so close, they could practically read each other’s minds without using Legilimency.

She’d never been so insanely happy. It had taken fifteen years for it to come, but when it came, it was glorious. Her relationship with Severus was everything she’d hoped for but never thought she could have.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of an interoffice memo. She turned as it entered her office and zoomed straight toward her, stopping an inch from her face. She frowned as she took hold of it. One day one of those bloody things was going to take an eye out!

She carefully opened the red airplane and looked at the spiky scrawl.

_Dinner tonight at six-thirty? Meet me at my place._

_SS_

She smiled to herself and grabbed a quill to write a response. A week after Severus announced his return, Kingsley had approached him and asked him to head the espionage division of the Auror department. After raising an eyebrow and asking some questions, he’d accepted. He’d been running the department ever since.

She quickly scrawled her reply:

_Why, Mr. Snape, I’d love to have dinner with you! I’ll see you then._

_HG_

She refolded the airplane and sent it on its way. Excitement filled her as she thought of spending the night with Severus. She marveled internally at the fact that she still got excited at the thought of being with him despite her spending every day in his company. He made her heart feel full, and she felt complete when she was with him. She was pretty sure he felt the same way about her.

oooOOOooo

When Hermione got home, she changed her work robes into something a little nicer and more comfortable. She stood now in front of the mirror in a short-sleeved, red ombré dress that slowly deepened to black. She grabbed a black chiffon outer cape and fastened it with the circular clasp. It fell a little below the dress line at her knees. She moved left and right, watching it flow around her and liked how it looked on her.

Her hair was loose around her with curls framing her face. She placed some gold teardrop earrings in her ears, fluffed up her hair, grabbed a gold clutch, and headed out the door. Within minutes, she’d descended to Severus’ floor and was knocking at his door.

She smiled as he opened it and then ran her eyes up and down his form. He was wearing fine black dress-robes. The suitcoat was open, and his lithe frame was accented nicely by the black trousers and shirt underneath. Merlin, he took her breath away.

Severus reached out for her hand. She gave him a curious smile as she placed her hand in his. He directed her into the room, never looking away from her. As she entered the room, Severus kissed her hand.

“Severus!” she said breathily. “You look so handsome. Should I change into something more formal?”

“No, Hermione. You look stunning as always. Besides, we’re staying right here.”

It was then she noticed the dim lighting and lovely smell coming from the kitchen.

“You cooked for us?” she asked with surprise.

He chuckled. “It’s not the first time I’ve done that,” he answered before pulling her to him and kissing her softly.

“You are beautiful and intoxicating,” he said as he pulled away from her at long last.

“And you are handsome and sexy,” Hermione replied before kissing him again.

He groaned as her lips touched his, and she felt a bolt of electricity course through her as he kissed her deeply. She felt powerful, being able to make this taciturn man groan with just a wanton kiss. She wanted to always have him in her arms, loving her. Her hands came around his neck, and she pulled him closer, trying to take all of him into her.

After a long interlude, they pulled apart from one another. Severus looked into her eyes with such love that she shuddered slightly. Her insides went to mush as she looked at the man she loved, who so evidently thought the world of her.

He kissed her cheek and pulled back again.

“I was saving this for later, but I find I can’t wait,” he said cryptically, causing her to raise her eyebrows at him.

“Saving what?” she asked.

Lowering himself to one knee, he took her hand as she gasped.

“Hermione, since you saved me, my life has made a complete turnaround. I have a job I enjoy, I no longer have to answer to maniacs, and I have you by my side. I owe all of that to you, and I want you beside me for the rest of my life, celebrating the good things and even mourning the bad. I love you more than I thought was humanly possible. Please, Hermione, marry me?”

He reached into his pocket and took out a black-velvet ring box. It magically opened to reveal a diamond solitaire. Hermione gasped again and stared at the ring. A million thoughts crashed through her mind as she looked at it. Saving his life, his tender kiss in the shack, their coming to an understanding of their feelings, spending time curled up on the sofa with him, kissing him over and over in a variety of settings, his support for her career, her support for his, everything…

Severus cleared his throat and looked at her nervously. Realizing she’d been hesitating with her musings, she snapped out of it and smiled.

“Oh, Severus, I will! Of course, I will!”

He was up in an instant, his arms surrounding her. The engagement ring magically appeared on her finger as his lips crashed into hers. He kissed her possessively and pulled back.

“I love you,” he said before coming in again for another searing kiss.

Hermione pulled away slightly. “I love you, too,” she whispered against his lips before she could say no more as his all-consuming kiss was upon her.

Hermione giggled into his kiss, causing Severus to pull back and look at her curiously.

“I’m just so happy, Severus.”

He smiled genuinely at her then. “You saved more than just my life that day in the Shack, Hermione. Thank you.”

“I saved myself, too,” she admitted before pulling him to her and kissing him with abandon.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with this fic. I appreciate all of you reading and those who reviewed. A last hug and thanks to my beta Amortentia in my Veins.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Many thanks to my beta Amortentia in my Veins. You are amazing!
> 
> Up Next: Hermione plans to travel back to save Severus.


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